02-22-2023, 07:53 AM
Was chatting with Darrell yesterday and apparently the price for the driveshafts for BMW R-bikes are dropping ... reportedly as low as $219.
When I do a search on the ASCycles parts fiche for the shaft for my 2016 R1200RS the part number returned is 33 73 8 531 102 and they want $732.22 for it, down from about $1200 where it was for years.
However there is more. Apparently BMW has changed the part number to 33 73 5 A67 0C3, saying that it replaces 33 73 8 531 102. ASCycles does show a listing for 33 73 5 A67 0C3 and their price is $219.10. This is the same as listed on the official BMW Motorrad website, which shows the following, confirming the new price:
This "new" driveshaft appears to be very similar to the one in my R1200RS and they claim it is a replacement for the original part number. There is some discussion on the MOA Forum about driveshaft phasing (i.e. it not being the same as the old shaft) but unless we have an actual picture of the 33 73 8 531 102 and the 33 73 5 A67 0C3 side by side and take measurements of the phase angle we can't know for sure. The sketches sure look the same but that could be copy-paste from one fiche item to the other. I can tell you that the phase angle on my shaft is not 90 degrees, so comparison without measurement is nonsense.
SO, now they have a "new" driveshaft with new part number. What else is new? Maybe phasing, maybe new heat treatment on the yokes?? New material, maybe? The [primary?] failures of these cardan shafts appears to mostly be at the yokes, so improving that part would solve the problem, in my view.
One thing I believe is this - this is a much better indication of them addressing the failures of these shafts than any installation of the duck-bill rubber drain valves on the underside of the shaft housing.
Question for me is ... do I snap up one of these new shafts and replace mine as a preventative measure, or wait until it fails ...
When I do a search on the ASCycles parts fiche for the shaft for my 2016 R1200RS the part number returned is 33 73 8 531 102 and they want $732.22 for it, down from about $1200 where it was for years.
However there is more. Apparently BMW has changed the part number to 33 73 5 A67 0C3, saying that it replaces 33 73 8 531 102. ASCycles does show a listing for 33 73 5 A67 0C3 and their price is $219.10. This is the same as listed on the official BMW Motorrad website, which shows the following, confirming the new price:
This "new" driveshaft appears to be very similar to the one in my R1200RS and they claim it is a replacement for the original part number. There is some discussion on the MOA Forum about driveshaft phasing (i.e. it not being the same as the old shaft) but unless we have an actual picture of the 33 73 8 531 102 and the 33 73 5 A67 0C3 side by side and take measurements of the phase angle we can't know for sure. The sketches sure look the same but that could be copy-paste from one fiche item to the other. I can tell you that the phase angle on my shaft is not 90 degrees, so comparison without measurement is nonsense.
SO, now they have a "new" driveshaft with new part number. What else is new? Maybe phasing, maybe new heat treatment on the yokes?? New material, maybe? The [primary?] failures of these cardan shafts appears to mostly be at the yokes, so improving that part would solve the problem, in my view.
One thing I believe is this - this is a much better indication of them addressing the failures of these shafts than any installation of the duck-bill rubber drain valves on the underside of the shaft housing.
Question for me is ... do I snap up one of these new shafts and replace mine as a preventative measure, or wait until it fails ...
Regards,
Grumpy Goat
2016 BMW R1200RS
2023 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro
Grumpy Goat
2016 BMW R1200RS
2023 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro